Olympic bronze medallist Kipsang opts out of Kenya marathon team

Olympic marathon bronze medallist
Wilson Kipsang has pulled out of the Kenya team to the world
championships, in Moscow.

David Okeyo, Athletics Kenya Vice
President, said Kipsang will not be part of the Kenya delegation to
Moscow for the championships, which will be held in Russia in
August.

Kipsang joins Olympic silver
medallist and defending champion Abel Kirui to walk out on the
Kenya team, which faces a litmus test to firm its grip as the
giants in long distance running.

"It is true the two runners are
out. Kirui has failed to recover from his leg injury while Kipsang
has contacted us saying that he is not keen to run in Moscow.

"Kipsang has other engagements and
wants to attempt a world record either in Berlin or somewhere else.
So he asked to be left out," said Okeyo, Monday in Nairobi.

Kipsang won the London marathon in
2012, but was fifth this year. He holds the second fastest time in
the 42km distance of 2:03.42, which he set in 2011 in winning
Hamburg marathon.

The news is a blow to Kenya hopes
of retaining the world marathon title in Moscow. Kirui, who was
third at the London marathon, was keen to make history as the first
athlete to win the world title three times in a row after he was
successful in Berlin (2009) and Daegu in South Korea (2011).

"I have opted out of the defending
my title at the World Championships. I have failed to recover from
the injury, which I got in training back in march," said Kirui,
Monday in Eldoret.

Kirui is nursing a muscle strain
after it failed to respond quickly to treatment. He has been to
hospitals in Amsterdam, Nairobi and Eldoret to seek special medical
advice.

Doctors advised him to stay away
after he was diagnosed with stress fractures.

"Kirui has a grade two stress
fracture in his right shin. After showing painful bruising around
his right leg, Kirui was investigated by the Department of Elite
Sports Medicine in the Dutch town of Ede and found to have a grade
two stress reaction with edema in the right distal fibula bone with
reactive edema in the surrounding soft tissue," his management team
said.

Alongside Kirui and Kipsang, there
will be no room for world marathon record holder Patrick Makau, who
misses out on his second international event, after he was
overlooked in the selection to the London Olympics last August.

But there is Tokyo marathon
champion Dennis Kimetto (2:04:16), who will be eying to prove to
his mentor, Berlin marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai, that he has
what it takes to step into his shoes.

Another green horn making a curve
in the Kenyan team is Peter Kimeli Some, a son of legendary Kenyan
Some Muge (The late), who won the country the first ever cross
country medal in Madrid in 1983.

Throw in Hamburg marathon champion
Eliud Kipchoge, London marathon silver medallist Emmanuel Mutai and
there is still hope for Kenya to hold firm in Moscow in the men
cadre.

The women team has Edna Kiplagat
defending her title, after she came second at the London marathon
behind compatriot Priscah Jeptoo, who is also in the team.

"We want to retain the gold medals
at the World Championships. We also want to improve on the
performance we had in Daegu, South Korea in 2011 and that is why we
are starting the preparations early," said Isaiah Kiplagat, the
Athletics Kenya President.

Athletics Kenya is expected to name
the final team to Moscow this week after deliberating on the
withdrawals and listening to the coaches committee.

Kiplagat also said 58 athletes have
made the qualifying mark and will be put in training camp to
monitor their preparations.

"Those who will qualify later and
the defending champions are also allowed to join the camp," said
Kiplagat.